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United States Patent |
5,031,486
|
Rydgren
|
July 16, 1991
|
Corkscrew
Abstract
Corkscrew comprising a handle and a helically-shaped screw part, where the
helically-shaped part (2) being formed is extended spirally, having its
smallest diameter near the handle, and being flat with the outside
aligning with a conical envelope surface, the terminating end (3) remote
from the handle also being flat but being arranged radially and
perpendicularly to the center axis of the corkscrew, the screw part having
decreasing diameter toward the end (3) from the point where the screw part
is twisted from a position aligned with the conical surface, to a position
perpendicular to the center axis, and a center peg (1) being secured to
the handle, concentric to the screw part (2).
Inventors:
|
Rydgren; Jan (Vestby, NO)
|
Assignee:
|
Rydgren Promotion A/S (Vestby, NO)
|
Appl. No.:
|
477635 |
Filed:
|
February 9, 1990 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
| May 19, 1989[NO] | 892027 |
| Nov 08, 1989[NO] | 894457 |
Current U.S. Class: |
81/3.45; 81/3.48 |
Intern'l Class: |
B67B 007/04 |
Field of Search: |
81/3.48,3.45,3.07,3.36,3.29
|
References Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
179090 | Jun., 1876 | Barnes | 81/3.
|
2093541 | Sep., 1937 | Bohler | 81/3.
|
4291597 | Sep., 1981 | Allen | 81/3.
|
4574662 | Mar., 1986 | Jones | 81/3.
|
Foreign Patent Documents |
938167 | Jan., 1956 | DE | 81/3.
|
Primary Examiner: Parker; Roscoe V.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Dressler, Goldsmith, Shore, Sutker & Milnamow, Ltd.
Parent Case Text
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 411,898,
filed Sept. 25, 1989, now abandoned.
The present invention is related to a corkscrew.
Throughout the times, a plurality of tools has been developed for pulling a
cork out of a bottle's neck. The most commonly used design is the well
known helically shaped screw which is to be screwed into the middle or
near the middle of the cork, normally through a substantial part of the
cork and often through the full length of the cork, which very easily
breaks out parts of the cork which fall down into the bottle.
By screwing a traditional corkscrew into a cork, the cork mass is
compressed by the corkscrew in such a way that the pressure of the cork
against the wall of a bottle neck increases considerably. when the cork by
means of the corkscrew is pulled out, an additional force has to be
overcome created by the friction between the cork and the wall and the
additional pressure caused by the compression of the cork. The volume of
the cork is increased approximately 15% when the corkscrew is screwed in
whereby additionally the grip of the corkscrew in the cork is limited to
approximately 30 to 40% of the volume of the cork, positioned in the
center of the cork which thereby in fact is remote from the circumference
of the cork where the friction forces are acting. From time to time, this
fact leads to breaking of the cork, especially if the cork has poor
quality.
It is therefore an objective for the present invention to provide a
corkscrew where the friction forces between the cork and the wall of the
bottle neck are decreased instead of increased as the case is by known
corkscrews. It is a further purpose of the present invention displacing
the grip of the corkscrew in the cork from the center of the cork, nearer
to the circumference of the cork thereby simultaneously to displace the
forces from the corkscrew nearer to the friction forces between the cork
and the bottle neck.
The above-mentioned objectives are achieved with the corkscrew according to
the present invention as defined by the features stated in the patent
claim.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A corkscrew comprising a handle and a helically-shaped flat screw part
with the outside aligning with a conical envelope surface with its
smallest diameter near the handle, the terminating end remote from the
handle being arranged radially and perpendicular to the center axis of the
corkscrew, the screw part having a decreasing diameter toward the end from
the point where the screw part is twisted from a position aligned with a
conical surface to a position perpendicular to the center axis, and a
center peg secured to the handle, concentric to and spaced from the screw
part outside said handle and extending at least to the end of the screw
part.
2. Corkscrew according to claim 1, characterized in that the conical shape
in the area near the end of the screw part, opposite the handle, has a
decreasing diameter.
3. Corkscrew according to claim 1, characterized in the screw part having a
substantially circular cross section.
4. A corkscrew comprising a handle and a helically shaped screw part,
characterized in that the helically shaped part is formed as an extended
conical spiral having its smallest diameter near the handle, and having a
center peg secured to the handle, concentric to and spaced from the screw
part throughout its entire length outside said handle and extending at
least to the end of the screw part.
5. Corkscrew comprising a handle and a helically-shaped screw part,
characterized in the helically-shaped part (2) being formed as an extended
spiral having its smallest diameter near the handle, and being flat with
the outside aligning with a conical envelope surface, the terminating end
(3) remote from the handle also being flat but being arranged radially and
perpendicularly to the center axis of the corkscrew, the screw part having
decreasing diameter towards the end (3) from the point where the screw
part is twisted from a position aligned with the conical surface, to a
position perpendicular to the center axis, and a center peg (1) being
secured to the handle, concentric to the screw part (2).
Description
In the drawing,
FIG. 1 discloses a section through a bottle neck and a cork;
FIG. 2 discloses a section corresponding to FIG. where a known corkscrew is
screwed in;
FIG. 3 discloses a corresponding section with arrows indicating the forces
present by use of the corkscrew according to the present invention;
FIG. 4 discloses a corresponding section with the corkscrew according to
the present invention inserted;
FIG. 5 discloses a section corresponding to FIG. 4 with arrows indicating
the forces;
FIG. 6 discloses a section along VI--VI in FIG. 4; and
FIG. 7 discloses a side view of a simplified embodiment.
In FIG. 1 are disclosed, by arrows, the forces between the cork and the
wall of the bottle neck, due to the compression of the cork in the bottle
neck. Forces due to pressure in the interior of the bottle are not
considered in this connection.
FIG. 2 discloses, also by arrows, additional forces from a corkscrew of
traditional type which is screwed into the center of the cork.
FIG. 3 discloses, by arrows, the forces which are present when the cork is
pulled out of the bottle by means of the corkscrew according to the
present invention. The friction forces between the cork and the wall of
the bottle are decreased. The cork will experience radially inwardly
directed forces as disclosed with arrows 4. Arrows 5 disclose that axial
forces act on the cork considerably closer to the circumference of the
cork than the arrows 6 in FIG. 2 which substantially are limited to the
middle of the cork.
FIGS. 4-6 disclose the corkscrew according to the present invention. A
center peg 1 is secured to handle 10, ensuring that the corkscrew to be
kept centric in the cork thereby uniformly to distribute the forces
towards the circumference. The center peg 1 may be hollow thereby allowing
air to be led into the bottle when screwing the corkscrew into the cork.
The corkscrew 2 itself has an outer helical and conical shape with the
smallest diameter near the handle 10. The corkscrew 2 substantially is
made as a flat band arranged in the cone surface. The lowest part of the
corkscrew, however, is twisted away from the position where the band is
parallel to the conical surface, to a position substantially perpendicular
to the axis of the cork and the center peg 1, respectively, terminating in
a flat end 3. The conical shape of the corkscrew has an increasing
diameter substantially from the handle 10 to the point near the end of the
corkscrew where the twisting of the band starts, from the position
parallel with the conical surface, to the position of the flat end 3,
which is arranged substantially perpendicular to the center peg. From the
point where the twisting starts and to the end 3, the diameter is
decreasing as disclosed in FIG. 6. By screwing the corkscrew according to
the present invention into the cork, the corkscrew is brought into and
maintained substantially concentric in the cork. The flat end 3 will dig
into the cork and by the design of the windings, firstly, with increasing
diameter, thereafter, starting at the twisting point, with decreasing
diameter, the cork itself will assume radially inwardly directed forces as
disclosed with the arrows 7 in FIG. 5.
When the cork is pulled out of the bottle by means of the corkscrew
according to the present invention, the flat end 3 will have a good grip
in the cork, transferring the forces into the cork at the lower end of the
cork. In this way it is ensured that the cork is pulled out of the bottle
in one unit which is made easy by the radially inwardly directed forces
occurring by screwing the corkscrew into the cork. Additionally, radially
inwardly directed forces will be executed in the cork from the axial force
on the handle as the helical shape of the corkscrew thereby will transfer
additionally radial forces towards the center of the cork.
FIG. 7 discloses a simplified embodiment of the corkscrew according to the
present invention where the flat band type corkscrew 2 is replaced by a
corkscrew 8 having a substantially circular cross section. Such a design
simplifies substantially manufacturing and in most cases it will give
acceptable effect together with the center peg 1 and the substantially
conical shape of the screw from the handle with an increasing diameter
towards a point near the end of the screw, from which the diameter is
decreasing towards the end.
By means of the corkscrew according to the present invention an increased
grip surface is achieved and a considerably reduced pressure against the
wall bottle neck, whereby the center peg maintains the corkscrew
concentric in the cork when the corkscrew is screwed into the cork.
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